The Case for Christian Socialism

The only option for true followers of Jesus

Growing up in West Virginia, I heard a lot about how Christianity and capitalism went hand in hand — the “Protestant work ethic” and all that. But something always felt off about that to me. How could a religion centered on a homeless, itinerant preacher who told his followers to sell all they had and give the money to the poor be compatible with a system built on endless accumulation and profit?

The truth is, it’s not. For far too long, Christians have accepted capitalism as compatible with their faith, despite overwhelming evidence that it fundamentally contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ and the witness of the early church.

When we examine Scripture, church history, and the theological tradition, we find that socialism — defined broadly as an economic system based on cooperation rather than competition — aligns much more closely with Christian values and ethics. In fact, for true followers of Jesus of Nazareth, it’s the only option.

The Biblical Case

The evidence begins in the earliest accounts of the Christian church. In Acts 2:44–45, we read that the first Christians “had all things in common” and “sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.”

This was not a temporary arrangement but the normative practice of the early church, repeated again in Acts 4:32–35. The first Christians understood that following Jesus meant rejecting private property and creating new economic relationships based on meeting everyone’s needs.

This wasn’t a new idea. The Hebrew prophets consistently condemned economic exploitation and the accumulation of wealth. Amos denounced those who “trample on the poor” (8:4), while Isaiah proclaimed “Woe to you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room” (5:8). The Jubilee laws in Leviticus 25 mandated periodic redistribution of wealth and cancellation of debts.

Not to mention, Jesus himself was explicitly anti-wealth, telling the rich young ruler to “sell all that you have and distribute to the poor” (Luke 18:22) and declaring that “you cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). His inaugural sermon announced “good news to the poor” and “liberation for the oppressed” (Luke 4:18). The kingdom he proclaimed was one of economic as well as spiritual transformation.

The Theological Case

Many theologians have also made the case for Christian socialism. Karl Barth argued that Christianity is inherently socialistic because it proclaims that humans are made for communion with God and each other, not competition and exploitation. The Protestant principle that we are saved by grace through faith, not works, means that our worth comes from God’s love, not our productivity or wealth.

Paul Tillich developed this further, showing how capitalism alienates humans from their true nature by reducing them to commodities. In contrast, socialism affirms human dignity and interdependence. Martin Luther King Jr. built on this tradition, declaring that “capitalism has outlived its usefulness” and calling for a “revolution of values” that would restructure society along cooperative lines.

This is to say nothing of Roman Catholic teaching against capitalism. In the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII harshly condemned the “small number of very rich men” who had “laid a yoke almost of slavery” on the working classes. Though this document criticized socialism as it existed then, it laid the groundwork for Catholic social teaching that emphasized workers’ rights, the common good, and the universal destination of goods (the idea that God intended the earth’s resources for everyone, not just the wealthy).

This tradition flowered in Latin American liberation theology, where Catholic theologians like the recently departed Gustavo Gutiérrez argued that God has a “preferential option for the poor” and that Christians must work to overthrow unjust economic systems.

Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, went even further in combining Catholic faith with radical economics, establishing farming communes and houses of hospitality that practiced Christian anarchism and defended workers’ rights. Even Pope Francis has sharply criticized capitalism, calling it “the dung of the devil” and arguing that “this economy kills.”

What’s the Alternative?

When I talk about this, people often ask: “Well what’s the alternative? Socialism has failed everywhere it’s been tried!” But this reveals a profound misunderstanding of both socialism and Christian history.

Let me be clear: What we’re talking about isn’t Soviet-style state control of the economy. We’re talking about guaranteeing every human being the basic necessities of life: food, housing, healthcare, meaningful work, and a democratic say in both their government and workplace. It means ensuring that no one lives in poverty while others hoard obscene wealth.

This would look like:

• Worker-owned and democratically controlled businesses
• Universal access to basic needs
• An end to corporate control of our political system
• Production focused on human flourishing, not profit
• Environmental stewardship and sustainability

In a nutshell, this is Democratic socialism.

Here’s what’s wild: this is exactly the kind of economic relationship the early church created. Before Christianity became the official religion of empire and lost its revolutionary edge, the first Christians shared everything in common and made sure everyone’s needs were met.

When Jesus said to “seek first the kingdom of God and God’s justice” (Matthew 6:33), he wasn’t talking about some far-off heavenly realm. He was describing a radically new way of organizing human life and relationships right here, right now. That’s what we’re fighting for.

What Can We Do?

The fight to overcome capitalism can seem overwhelming. The system feels all-encompassing, inevitable. “There is no alternative,” as Margaret Thatcher famously declared.

But as people of faith, we know better. We follow a God who specializes in alternatives — who parts seas, raises the dead, and proclaims good news to the poor. We follow a Jesus who turned over the tables of the money-changers and proclaimed a different kind of kingdom.

In my mind, there are five things we can do to today to start working towards this new world:

• Study the actual Jesus of history and his radical economic message: Join a progressive Bible Study or pick up a book like Gary Dorrien’s excellent history of Democratic socialism and Christianity in the U.S., American Democratic Socialism.
• Support and create alternative economic institutions like cooperatives: Work to change your place of employment into a cooperative, or support the work of those who enable this change.
• Live simply and share resources in community: Get involved or donate to mutual aid societies.
• Work to transform unjust systems: Join the Democratic Socialists of America and/or The Working Families Party and work for broader systemic change.
• Center love and human dignity in all our economic choices.

Ultimately, this isn’t about abstract economic theories. It’s about love — real, practical, world-changing love. The kind of love that refuses to accept that some must be poor so others can be rich. The kind of love that knows we are all connected, all bearing God’s image, all deserving of dignity and abundance.

That’s the love Jesus commanded us to practice. And that love is fundamentally incompatible with capitalism. The choice before us is clear: we can keep trying to serve both God and Mammon, or we can commit ourselves to creating something new.

I know which choice I’m making. What about you?

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